Tromso Olympiad 2014

[amuir]

Some council members agreed with me as captain, some players disagreed. Situation not ideal. It's a long story - would prefer to discuss in person rather than noticeboard. What do you do if there is disagreement ? Not everyone can get what they want. It's impossible.

[David Deary]

My two cents on the Captaincy:

The players shouldn't be choosing the Captain (down with player power), the Captain should be a Scot and the International Director should have a say in the Captaincy.

In the Junior Internationals, the International Directors have been known to pick themselves as Head of Delegation in the past. That's how it works...

[robin moore]

I feel that when CS members elect a director to represent our organisation and that director is able to go and support our squad at events he/she should be encouraged to do so in a leadership capacity.

If that CS elected director is unable to attend an event, it's for the elected director to delegate from interested parties.

[Matthew Turner]

You cannot really compare the role of a captain/manager at junior events and senior events.
There are a number of things to decide about the Captain of the Olympiad side

1. Should it be a playing or non-playing captain
2. Will the captain have a coaching role (if so you should consider a non-Scottish player)

Once you've decided that then you find a person the players will respect within the budget you have available. Why is it important that the players respect the Captain? Well you will have the classic example where Scotland face Russia. The best players will want to play because it is their chance to take on the world elite. The Captain will often want to rest the best players because we are going to lose anyway, so better to have them fit and raring to go for winnable matches.

[andyburnett]

Some council members agreed with me as captain, some players disagreed. Situation not ideal. It's a long story - would prefer to discuss in person rather than noticeboard. What do you do if there is disagreement ? Not everyone can get what they want. It's impossible.

It was quite a simple question Andy. Did you choose yourself as captain?

From the 2nd post on this thread you offered yourself and Jonathan Grant as your 2 captain's choices, long before teams and budgets were announced.

The reason this should be discussed publicly is that a huge chunk of the CS budget is being used for the Olympiad costs - the AGM would be too late to discuss any accusation of impropriety or conflict of interests (at least too late to make a difference this time), so here we are on the forum.

Having a captain which the vast majority of the team don't want, don't respect or don't feel is capable of doing the job is unlikely to create the kind of positive atmosphere which teams need to succeed or do well.

To reply to David Deary's point, the International Director should of course have a say in the captaincy role, but he certainly should not be choosing himself from the outset, ignoring or dismissing players concerns and alternative options, booking his flights while there is still extreme uncertainty over his own role and then trying to muster support from a select band of his friends when the actual team expresses their almost complete dissatisfaction with him.

I feel that when CS members elect a director to represent our organisation and that director is able to go and support our squad at events he/she should be encouraged to do so in a leadership capacity.

Robin makes a valid point also, except that in this case there has been no encouragement for Andy M. to go from the players, who do not see Andy as a leadership figure.

This issue, to me, is a no-brainer.
-You do not select yourself to go to the most important adult international team event without inviting (or proposing!) alternatives, alternatives which might be better for the team as a whole.
-You do not then book yourself on the flight while several members of the team are expressing their dissatisfaction with your own choice.

This situation needs to be raised higher within CS - there are serious issues involved here.

[David Deary]

Andy B, you seem to be privy to more information than me with regards to "Captaingate". I have to say though if this is such an issue why are the players remaining silent, is there more to this story than meets the eye? :-?

[andyburnett]

Andy B, you seem to be privy to more information than me with regards to "Captaingate". I have to say though if this is such an issue why are the players remaining silent, is there more to this story than meets the eye? :-?

Hi David, The players aren't remaining silent - just not going public - yet?! This may be part of the reason why I am privy to some information.

The information I have been given is certainly not limited to the team members, (or still-prospective team members) or CS council members. Andy Muir can supply more information on that count...should he feel the desire to keep all interested CS members in the loop (i.e. the people who are paying his way to Norway)

[robin moore]

Would it be helpful and acceptable to all captains and players for Andy Muir and Jonathan Grant to exchange roles with Jonathan captaining the Open team and Andy captaining the ladies team?

[amuir]

I have very many experiences of bad threads, moderators being called in etc.
If anyone has any concerns or wants information, as I have said before, it is better to phone me or speak in person. Misunderstandings very easily get out of hand and the tone quickly deteriorates.
Andy B, please pick up the phone.

[andyburnett]

Would it be helpful and acceptable to all captains and players for Andy Muir and Jonathan Grant to exchange roles with Jonathan captaining the Open team and Andy captaining the ladies team?

Perhaps it would (though from what I know, it would be unlikely to restore harmony. Also, the women's team are perfectly happy having Jonathan Grant as their captain). There have been several alternative suggestions proposed to Andy but he has so far rejected all of them out of hand in his 'capacity as International Director'.

I think it would be helpful and acceptable (to CS as a whole) if Andy Muir were to acknowledge that he has acted completely inappropriately from the outset, apologise, resign his self-appointed captaincy and seriously re-consider his role as International Director.

In the meantime, the CS council could take over the Olympiad decisions (with assistance if needed), bring in a captain acceptable to all the players (Open and women's teams - they are 1 squad representing Scotland) and investigate what has become a messy, unnecessary and ethically dubious situation.

What shouldn't happen is that the whole affair drags on, with players and others obviously unhappy about the decision, and no-one taking responsibility for righting the ship.